Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the management of information handling systems. More specifically, embodiments of the invention provide a system, method, and computer-readable medium for managing the display of product module descriptors within a user interface.
Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
These same information handling systems have played a key role in the rapid growth of electronic commerce (ecommerce) on the Internet. However, users of ecommerce sites are sometimes challenged when navigating a complex site, particularly if the information they are seeking requires multiple clicks or other user gestures. In response, vendors have increasingly used product configurators to assist buyers in configuring a product from many different options, or modules.
One example of a configurable product is a personal computer. Another is a television, with options to choose the type of service, mounting stand, media player, direct-to-home (DTH) satellite service, etc. However, vendors are often faced with two challenges. The first is determining which options should be displayed to the customer. As an example, a vendor may have 50 or more modules that could be displayed. The second challenge is determining the optimal order in which the selected modules are displayed. This is an important consideration, as options that are presented at the top or beginning of a list typically receive higher numbers of user interactions than those presented at the bottom or end. For example, is presenting a processor option followed by a memory option the optimal order or is it vice-versa?
However, current approaches to these issues are typically based upon the intuition of merchandising and business managers. Furthermore, few approaches to addressing these issues are based upon the behavioral data of online visitors. Those that do exist typically rely upon analysis of sales data.